“Quotable quotes,” Fong style

In the Fong house, sometimes things are said after which Shun-Luoi or I comment, “Well, that’s a quotable quote.” It helps when you have a hilarious 4 year-old in the house, but even us adults come up with something of “quotable quote” nature from time to time. I’m sure it’s probably the same in your house! Today I’m sharing some recent quotes from our household as well as a bit of the back-story behind each of them. I guarantee they will give you insight into what’s going on in our lives and hope they also make you smile.

“If you need me, I’ll be curled up in the fridge.”(Shun-Luoi) It’s the “hot season” here in Thailand and Shun-Luoi made this comment last weekend during one day that seemed even hotter than usual. The heat is really draining and I agree with him that “curling up” in our refrigerator (a great mental picture) sounds pretty appealing at times.

“Obeying your father always comes before capturing birds!” (me to Elijah) Any parent knows how easy it is to be incredulous at the things that come out of your mouth when talking to your child. I have said things I never, ever dreamed I would say – and many of them in front of other people. (sigh) This particular quote came while we were attempting to leave the house recently. Trying to go anywhere with a 2 year-old and 4 year-old always feels like herding cats and this instance was no different. Shun-Luoi had asked Elijah to do something, but Elijah ran off with his fishing net talking about how he needed to go “capture birds.” Sorry son, capturing birds will have to wait when your dad asks you to do something.

“Baby, mama, daddy, baby-mama-daddy.”(Abigail, multiple times each day) I’m telling you, this girl sees the world through relationships. I don’t know if that’s common or not for most 2 year-old girls, but it is for mine. Here’s an example … we can be reading a book that has 3 elephants on one page. All 3 elephants are the same size and look exactly the same, but within seconds, Abigail has designated one to be the baby, one the mama, and one the daddy. It’s really fascinating and I love watching how she takes in the world around her.

“Dad? A little help with the frog, please?”

“My heart was just ruined!” (Elijah) Elijah has been a regular “Tom Sawyer” of sorts recently. Last week, he has caught a worm, avery fat frog (with the help of his dad), and a butterfly. Each was set up fairly nicely in a home consisting of a garbage basket. Aftercatching the frog, he put it in the basket and I told him he would not have to put anything over the top because I figured the frog was too fat to jump out. As it turns out, I am not a frog expert and the fat little guy proved me wrong. He ended up hopping out and jumping into a nearby drain. My son came to me, declaring that his heart had been ruined because the frog had jumped away. Seriously, where did this kid hear of such a concept of one’s heart being “ruined?!” Anyway, lest you worry, he made a quick recovery when he eyed the mango I was cutting up as part of our dinner and exclaimed, “Ooh, yummy – mango!”

“You can take your “mai pen rai” and shove it!” (me) The Thai phrase “mai pen rai” (my-pin-rye) means “no worries” or, “don’t worry about it.” Flexibility and a more laid-back approach to life in general are highly valued here in Thailand,* and you will hear this phrase often. My husband, though actually half-Chinese, is basically Thai in temperament. I’m serious. One of his sisters once said that if Shun-Luoi was any more laid-back, he would be comatose! While a bit dramatic, it is true that he can really roll with just about anything; it’s really slightly maddening quite remarkable! Truth be told, I do admire this about my husband and would like to be more like him in this way. Anyway, one of our first weeks here, he was uttering, “mai pen rai,” quite frequently regarding things that didn’t go as we had planned, had taken longer than expected, etc. One day when I *might* have been a bit stressed out, he said the phrase and I, mostly joking, told him what he could do with his “mai pen rai.” Folks, if you can’t laugh about these things, then you shouldn’t move to another country. You just have to in order to stay sane!

And those are just a few of the gems coming out of the Fong household these days!

What about your household? Any quotable quotes you’d like to share?

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* I am not claiming to be a expert on Thai culture after living here a mere 6 weeks. However, you don’t have to be here long to pick up on some of these things – plus, I have the luxury of discussing them with someone (Shun-Luoi) who previously lived in Thailand for a year. End of disclaimer. ;)

Wow, is she teething or does she have that disease where you crave wood/paint/etc. (pica?)? ;) Ha! I can just imagine her gnawing on that porch – hilarious! I love hearing how many little girls gravitate toward nurturing and relationships … isn’t it fun to watch?